Chapter One
He was a nobody. Lost everything that had worked to achieve and remained nothing – These were the only thoughts that inhabited the mind of Alfonso. Once one of the world's fastest swimmers and Italian medalist in Olympic competition, the 24 year-old athlete couldn't have a quiet night's sleep, without feeling that he was tortured by millions of knives so sharp as the words of pity and compassion that listened wherever he went and destroyed what was left of her dignity.
He kept away those thoughts from his mind – or at least he tried - and let his eyes go through the empty and dusty apartment that Mary, his real estate agent was trying to sell him. It was really a magical place and beautiful, exactly what he needed.
-So what do you think? – Said Maria, supported on the kitchen counter. Alfonso looked at her with a slight smile on his lips and pulled out his checkbook.– I ... think that should use the extra that I'm giving it to you buy that bike your daughter so much asks you for. You go spend some time with her and get me someone to me decorate the house until tomorrow morning, please.
She picked up on the check that he stretched, smiling gasped and sterically exclaimed a few words in a mixture of thankfullness and promises. After a few minutes she left with the sign that said "for sale" and a smile on her lips. Since he couldn't be happy, at least he would help others to be.
With the help of a cane he went to the terrace of the house. Crossed the living room and opened the door to come across a terrace with a jacuzzi and some lounge chairs. He sat down putting his Ray Ban sunglasses on. There are already several months that he could not afford to relax. Simply lie down on the hot noon sun and enjoy a few moments of calm and quiet.
He remained in that peace of mind state until that pain, the same that took his sleep every night, attacking his back ruthlessly. When this happened the rose with the support of his cane and left his new home for the first time, driving his Fiat Bravo to Palazzo Serriston in order to see the Palace that was one of the landmarks of Florence. But when he was parking the car there was something that held his attention, something other than the large and lush Palace. To enter by Arno River, a turf field was the basis for a campfire, lonely in the small size of that piece of land.
Curious and intrigued, he got out of the car and cross the road without worrying about cars that buzzed or the enraged cries its respective drivers. His eyes were stuck in scarlet flares which could reach 10 feet high. As Alfonso approached the campfire he realized that this had no reflection in the river. When he was face to face with that mysterious campfire he realized another weird thing about it, there was no sound of crackling which meant that there was nothing to be burned. There was no campfire. It was simple and pure fire. And as if he wasn't confused and frightened enough, the flames merged in a small circular emblem with three half circles which brought elegant lines that would eventually merge with the circular structure around all the trimmings.
Curiosity took after the ginger and this stretched out his hand, trembling slightly due to a mixture of anticipation and fear of it, towards the symbol that dangled in front of him. But as much as strange and weird that the last few minutes had been, would be a drop of water in the sea of events that were to come from the moment in which Alfonso Fiore would touch that emblem that would change his life forever. And then finally touched it and as if someone had pressed a button, everything around him became a large white room where the only existing shapes were Alfonso himself and a majestic and untouchable man wearing only a immense and long red robe with golden ornaments. He'd already seen those garments in the great lords of the Chinese Empire.
-Who are you? What is this? W- where am I?- The guy's voice echoed in that room without limits. The man smiled looking to Alfonso for first with his large red eyes.
-You are a curious young man ... certainly you have inherited that from Ikazuma. He was a great man with a big heart, I hope you have inherited that too from the warrior.– Said the man in a deep voice and powerful, that warmed Alfonso merely with its tone.
-I'm not getting anything. Tell me what the hell is happening with me.– The italian's voice sounded even more confused and frightened than ever. I could feel the thin sweater sticking to his body due to sweat his pores insisted on releasing wildly. The man laughed again flooding the room with a certain sudden happiness.
-You shall accept your legacy, young and immature warrior. Destiny deprived you of everything you love to be able to successful transition into the world of the gods for the life that a whole legion of warriors before you lived and honored with their blood. Thou shalt be the warrior who will correct the mistakes the gods committed, Noble.-The majestic man lifted his chin, bringing himself up in the air. He reached out and above it appeared the scarlet emblem that led Alfonso to that mysterious place. - You will be my protégé and loyal warrior. And this is the beginning of your journey. – And with a simple hustle of his hand, he shot the small scarlet symbol towards the left half of Alfonso's chest, cutting through the air and clothes landing painfully in his skin as a deliberately heated iron made for torture.